Great teams find a way to overcome everything when it’s all on the line. That’s exactly what RBC did yesterday afternoon. St Rose and RBC battled right down to the buzzer. They gave fans of basketball a treat for the ages. But in the end it game down to the one star of stars ADDY NYEMCHEK.
RBC had to overcome it all yesterday to advance to the sectional final. The defending champ had to dig down deep and find something special and that’s exactly what they did. No team this side of Morris Catholic plays RBC better than St Rose. They reminded everyone yesterday that basketball is a team game. There is no doubt RBC is more talented than St. Rose. But St. Rose has a heart the size of Texas. Then jumped all over RBC early. They seem to hit every open jumper. Jada lynch was wearing her Superwoman cape once again. St. Rose led by as much as 11 points in the first quarter and threatened to run away and hide from RBC. But RBC has a bench, a very special bench.
Joe Montano’s faith in his bench is marrow deep. So he went to his bench in the first quarter and his bench delivered once again as it’s been doing all season. Lola GIORDANO, DANELLA MALETSKY and Sophie SMITH helped RBC run St. Rose down to close the quarter. St Rose had a 18-15 lead to end the 1st Quarter as RBC somehow found its way to the light.
The 2nd quarter was when this game took a dark turn. The officials decided that it was going to be St. Rose’s night. Jada Lynch simply drove to the rim and fell. The refs simply called foul. Joe Montano and the RBC faithful were stunned at the turn of events. Lynch would eventually. score 14 of her 30 points from the foul line. The officials simply were so one side it was almost impossible to believe at one point. But what was believable was Jada Lynch. She had 21 points in the first half and her buzzer beater gave St. Rose the lead 34-33 at the half and St Rose was in business.
Tessa Carman has been a rock all year for RBC. But it was clear this was not to be her night. So Coach Montano went to his Junior forward Sophia Smith. She immediately elevated the RBC defense and she went into her offense bag. “BIG GAME” SOPHIA was masterful. She rebounded, played great defense and scored. But DANELLA MALETSKY also went the work and held Jada Lynch scoreless in the 3rd quarter. It seemed RBC again had overcome tough times, they had a 43-42 lead after the 3rd.
The 4th quarter was a chess match. It also was another Master Class in coaching. First Joe Montano sent Christina Liggio into the post vs the Rose guards. Liggio proved there is levels to this and punished the St Rose guards. Then Coach Montano stuck with Sophia “ big game” Smith and she rewarded him with outstanding play on both side of the ball. Joe Montano was in his bag. But then the officiating jumped into the game again. Jada Lynch starting hitting the deck again and the refs blew the whistle. It was in a word Bizzare. But rather than making excuses RBC held it together. But with 6 seconds left the most Bizarre call of the evening, looked like it would decide the game. DANELLA MALETSKY in a tie game was fighting over a screen (clearly an illegal screen) and the ref call a foul on MALETSKY. To make things worse. Jada Lynch walked to the free throw line not GIANNA RODRIGUEZ. Why? because the officials got it all mixed up and called the foul on Sophie Smith. It was final straw of a game that was officiated so one side as I have ever seen in all my years. St. Rose was the beneficiary thought they were!
Stars when big games. But superstars do the impossible. So with six seconds remaining Addy Nyemcheck ran a zipper cut to get the ball on the inbounds pass. She then went coast to coast and reminded us why she is now called ADDY “the bad woman Bird”…Not only did she make the game trying shot. She walked to the free throw line and said let’s get out of here, it’s time to go home. RBC had once again survived, ironically, with one second left Jada. Lynch hit the floor a final time on the inbound pass, but there was no call… LUCKY FOR RBC!
RBC this time had to overcome… another Jada Lynch Masterpiece, a wonderful home crowd, bizzare officiating and an opposing team that had the heart of a lion!!! RBC has lived to fight another day.